A while ago, I commented that Microsoft seemed to be MIA in the war of online maps. I spoke too soon. It appears that Microsoft had been hard at work with their own technologies to compete with its biggest rival in the game, Google.
Microsoft finally unveiled its online mapping software, MSN Virtual Earth (beta). It has some familiar features used in Google Maps and Yahoo Maps, but it’s also packed with features not available in other mapping software. Unfortunately for non-IE users, the map won’t work for any other browser types (Safari 2, FireFox 1.0.6, or even their own kin, IE 5.2.3 on Mac). I think that really blows. No Virtual Earth pour moi.
Lifehacker reported that the mapping software also doesn’t display Apple’s Cupertino campus. And it also shows the pre-911 picture of the Twin Towers. Now we know… Microsoft secretly wishes if Apple never existed. Hah, punks.
I can’t imagine how the company can keep restricting itself from new markets by stubbornly making certain sites available only to its bug-ridden Internet Explorer browsers. Its OS and other service departments should be run separately. I mean, if IE isn’t the best browser for the site, then don’t go out of the way to make a site IE-only. By breaking their backs to support a non-standards compliant browser, it’s just more trouble for them in the future. And what about the uses? Have they even considered maybe some users don’t use IE as their browser of choice?
Stupid Microsoft.